U.S. patent application number 10/252191 was filed with the patent office on 2004-03-25 for system for producing noble metals.
Invention is credited to Biddulph, Stuart.
Application Number | 20040056393 10/252191 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 31992895 |
Filed Date | 2004-03-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040056393 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Biddulph, Stuart |
March 25, 2004 |
System for producing noble metals
Abstract
A system for producing significant quantities of noble metals
from low-grade ore. A mixture of particulate feed containing small
amounts of noble metals, a base metal, and activated carbon are
placed in a non-conducting container. The container is surrounded
by a coiled transmission line and heated via a combustion chamber.
Pairs of electrical pulses having equal amplitudes and opposing
directions are applied to each end of the transmission line so that
the opposing pulses collide within the transmission line, the
collision points traveling in a sweeping motion along the
transmission line. Other pairs of pulses are sent in repeated
cycles of multi-chord pulse trains, each chord having a specific
frequency ranging preferably between 5000 to 7000 cycles per
second.
Inventors: |
Biddulph, Stuart; (Provo,
UT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
KIRTON AND MCCONKIE
1800 EAGLE GATE TOWER
60 EAST SOUTH TEMPLE
P O BOX 45120
SALT LAKE CITY
UT
84145-0120
US
|
Family ID: |
31992895 |
Appl. No.: |
10/252191 |
Filed: |
September 23, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
266/168 ;
75/10.13 |
Current CPC
Class: |
C22B 4/04 20130101; C22B
11/02 20130101; C22B 4/08 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
266/168 ;
075/010.13 |
International
Class: |
C22B 004/00; C22B
004/08 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method comprising: providing a mixture comprising feed
material and a base metal; placing said mixture in a non-conductive
container surrounded by a coiled electrical transmission line
having a first end and a second end; supplying to said ends of the
transmission line a pair of electrical collision pulses that travel
in opposite directions until they collide at a point along the
transmission line; transmitting through said transmission line a
pair of frequency pulses at two or more distinct frequencies; and
repeating said steps of supplying and transmitting until a desired
amount of a valuable metal is produced from said mixture.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said mixture further comprises
carbon.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein said base metal comprises
copper.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein said feed material comprises at
least trace amounts of a noble metal.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein said mixture comprises a quantity
of atoms whose masses sum up to the equivalent of a quantity of
noble metal atoms.
6. The method of claim 1 further comprising heating said container
and said mixture via a gas furnace.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein said transmission line comprises
two parallel conductors.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein said pair of collision pulses have
equal amplitudes.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of supplying results in
said point of collision moving successively along the transmission
line in a sweeping motion.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein said frequencies consist of three
frequencies.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein said frequencies range from 5000
cycles per second to 7000 cycles per second.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein said frequencies are chosen to
cause atoms in the mixture to resonate at the natural frequency of
the nuclei of said valuable metal.
13. The method of claim 1 further comprising variably delaying the
collision pulses.
14. The method of claim 1 further comprising monitoring the
waveforms of said frequencies with a digital signal processor.
15. A method comprising: receiving, in a container surrounded by a
coiled electrical transmission line having a first end and a second
end, a mixture of carbon, a base metal, and a feed material;
supplying repeatedly to said ends of the transmission line a pair
of electrical collision pulses that travel in opposite directions
until they collide at a point along the transmission line, said
point of collision moving successively in a sweeping motion along
the transmission line; and transmitting repeatedly, until a desired
amount of noble metal is produced, a pair of frequency pulses via a
sequence of multi-chord pulse trains.
16. The method of claim 15 further comprising heating said
container and said mixture via a gas furnace.
17. The method of claim 15 wherein said transmission line comprises
two parallel wires.
18. The method of claim 15 wherein said multi-chord pulse trains
each comprise two frequencies.
19. The method of claim 15 wherein said multi-chord pulse trains
each comprise four frequencies.
20. The method of claim 15 wherein said multi-chord pulse trains
each comprise two or more frequencies chosen to cause atoms in the
mixture to resonate at the natural frequency of the nuclei of said
noble metal.
21. The method of claim 15 further comprising variably delaying the
collision pulses.
22. The method of claim 15 further comprising fine-tuning the power
and timing of the frequency pulses so that said multi-chord pulse
trains may be indefinitely maintained.
23. The method of claim 15 wherein said container comprises a
substantially non-conductive material.
24. A method comprising: providing a mixture of activated carbon,
copper, and a particulate feed material comprising at least trace
amounts of a noble metal, said mixture comprising a quantity of
atoms whose masses sum up to the substantial equivalent of a
quantity of atoms of said noble metal; placing said mixture in a
non-conductive container surrounded by a coiled electrical
transmission line having a first end and a second end, said
transmission line comprising two parallel wires; heating said
container and said mixture via a gas furnace; supplying repeatedly
to said ends of the transmission line a pair of electrical
collision pulses that have equal amplitudes and travel in opposite
directions until they collide at a point along the transmission
line, said point of collision moving successively in a sweeping
motion along the transmission line; and transmitting, until a
desired amount of said noble metal is produced, a pair of frequency
pulses at two or more distinct frequencies.
25. The method of claim 24 wherein said frequencies range from 5000
cycles per second to 7000 cycles per second.
26. The method of claim 24 wherein said frequencies consist of
three frequencies.
27. The method of claim 24 wherein said frequencies consist of four
frequencies.
28. The method of claim 24 wherein said frequencies are chosen to
cause atoms in the mixture to resonate at the natural frequency of
the nuclei of said noble metal.
29. The method of claim 24 further comprising variably delaying the
collision pulses.
30. The method of claim 29 further comprising fine-tuning the power
and timing of the frequency pulses so that said multi-chord pulse
trains may be indefinitely maintained.
31. An apparatus comprising: a substantially non-conductive
container suitable for holding a mixture comprising feed material;
an electrical transmission line coiled around said container; a
power supply that repeatedly supplies pairs of frequency pulses and
pairs of collision pulses to said transmission line, said collision
pairs comprising pulses of opposing polarity; and a signal
processor for timing said frequency pulses so that said frequency
pulses are transmitted along said transmission line at two or more
given frequencies until a desired amount of a noble metal is
produced from said mixture.
32. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said mixture further
comprises carbon.
33. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said mixture further
comprises a base metal.
34. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said mixture further
comprises copper.
35. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said feed material comprises
at least trace amounts of a noble metal.
36. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said mixture comprises a
quantity of atoms whose masses sum up to the equivalent of a
quantity of noble metal atoms.
37. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said transmission line
comprises two parallel conductors.
38. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein the collision pulses have
equal amplitudes.
39. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein each pair of said collision
pulses collide at some point within the transmission line.
40. The apparatus of claim 39 wherein said signal processor times
the collision pulses so that said point of collision travels
successively along the transmission line.
41. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said frequencies range from
5000 cycles per second to 7000 cycles per second.
42. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said frequencies are chosen
so that the atoms in said mixture resonate at the natural frequency
of the nuclei of said noble metal.
43. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said signal processor imposes
variably delays the collision pulses.
44. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said power supply
intersperses the collision pairs between the frequency pairs.
45. The apparatus of claim 31 further comprising a combustion
chamber for heating said mixture, said combustion chamber
surrounding said container.
46. An apparatus comprising: a container suitable for holding a
mixture comprising feed material and carbon; an electrical
transmission line coiled around said container; a combustion
chamber for heating said mixture, said chamber surrounding said
container; a power supply that repeatedly supplies pairs of
frequency pulses and pairs of collision pulses to said transmission
line, said collision pairs comprising pulses of equal amplitude and
opposing polarity that collide at some point along the transmission
line; and a signal processor for timing said frequency pulses so
that said frequency pulses are transmitted along said transmission
line at two or more given frequencies until a desired amount of a
noble metal is produced from said mixture.
47. The apparatus of claim 46 wherein said mixture further
comprises copper.
48. The apparatus of claim 46 wherein said feed material comprises
at least trace amounts of a noble metal.
49. The apparatus of claim 46 wherein said mixture comprises a
quantity of atoms whose masses sum up to the equivalent of a
quantity of noble metal atoms.
50. The apparatus of claim 46 wherein said container is
substantially non-conductive.
51. The apparatus of claim 46 wherein said transmission line
comprises two parallel conductors.
52. The apparatus of claim 46 wherein said signal processor times
the collision pulses so that said point of collision sweeps along
the transmission line.
53. The apparatus of claim 46 wherein said frequencies range from
5000 cycles per second to 7000 cycles per second.
54. The apparatus of claim 46 wherein said frequencies are chosen
so that the atoms in said mixture resonate at the natural frequency
of the nuclei of said noble metal.
55. The apparatus of claim 46 wherein said frequencies consist of
three frequencies.
56. The apparatus of claim 46 wherein said frequencies consist of
four frequencies.
57. The apparatus of claim 46 wherein said signal processor
variably delays the collision pulses so that said point of
collision sweeps along said transmission line.
58. The apparatus of claim 57 wherein said power supply
intersperses the collision pairs between the frequency pairs.
59. The apparatus of claim 46 wherein said signal processor
comprises several digital signal processing filters.
60. An apparatus comprising: a non-conductive container suitable
for holding a mixture comprising activated carbon, copper, and a
particulate feed material; an electrical transmission line coiled
around said container, said transmission line comprising two
parallel conductors; a combustion chamber for heating said mixture,
said chamber surrounding said container; a power supply that
repeatedly supplies a pair of frequency pulses and a pair of
collision to said transmission line, said collision pair comprising
pulses of equal amplitude and opposing polarity that collide at
some point along the transmission line; and a signal processor for
timing said frequency pulses so that said frequency pulses are
transmitted, until a desired amount of a noble metal is produced
from said mixture, along said transmission line via a multi-chord
pulse train comprising two or more frequencies.
61. The apparatus of claim 60 wherein said feed material comprises
at least trace amounts of said noble metal.
62. The apparatus of claim 60 wherein said signal processor times
the collision pulses so that said point of collision travels
successively in a sweeping motion along the transmission line.
63. The apparatus of claim 60 wherein said frequencies range from
5000 cycles per second to 7000 cycles per second.
64. The apparatus of claim 60 wherein said frequencies are chosen
so that the atoms in said mixture resonate at the natural frequency
of the nuclei of said noble metal.
65. The apparatus of claim 60 wherein said signal processor
variably delays the collision pulses so that said point of
collision sweeps along said transmission line.
66. The apparatus of claim 65 wherein said power supply
intersperses the collision pairs between the frequency pairs.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention pertains to a system for producing
valuable metals from materials containing trace amounts of those
valuable metals. In particular, the present invention relates to a
system for producing noble metals such as gold, platinum,
palladium, and silver from low-grade ore material.
[0003] 2. Background
[0004] There are several ways to retrieve or mine metals from ore.
As is well known in the art, mining has historically consisted of
hard-rock, open pit, or placer deposit methods. Generally, in the
case of hard-rock mining, or open pit mining, higher-grade
materials are selected for processing by grinding and concentrating
metal-bearing ore. Concentration may be accomplished by floatation,
chemical leach, or gravity separation such as sluicing. The
rejected materials, or the materials that are left after
concentration, are generally placed in tailing piles that are then
just left at the mine or mill site. The tailing piles will often
still contain small amounts of the desired metals but are
nevertheless considered unprofitable to work with further.
[0005] The concentrated materials may be further processed by
smelting them into the form of a metal bar or cell. Smelting
involves heating the concentrated materials with suitable fluxes to
the melting point of the metals. The metals are then poured into
molds, and the waste material is carried in the flux that comes off
in a slag. Heating has been accomplished by a variety of methods
such as by gas fire, coke fire, carbon arc, and induction
heating--all of which are familiar to those who practice the
art.
[0006] Besides methods for retrieving or mining metals, there also
exist some methods for processing low-grade ore materials (such as
that found in tailing piles) that purport to produce more amounts
of the desired metals than were originally present in the ore
materials. For example, one method produces metals from heavy
magnetic black sands that are often recovered with gold from
dredging or sluicing operations. First, the finely ground sands are
mixed with flour or whole wheat, finely divided (powdered) silver,
and potassium nitrate. This mixture is placed in a container or
barrel of, for example, a fifty-gallon capacity, and then set on
fire so that the mixture burns slowly until all combustion is
complete. The mixture is then smelted, along with a soda ash and
borax flux (borax being an ore of the element boron), in a silicon
carbide crucible placed within a furnace fired by natural gas. The
metal obtained from the smelting operation is then parted in an
electrolytic silver cell, according to known standard procedures
for such separation, and the slimes are then analyzed for noble
metals other than silver. This process does not consistently
produce significant amounts of the desired metals, however, and
thus has been abandoned as commercially useless.
[0007] Other methods exist for processing low-grade ore materials
such that a greater amount of the desired metals are purportedly
produced than were originally present in the ore materials. For
example, one such method involves the use of induction furnaces to
repeatedly heat a mixture of ore particles and flour. This method
is careful to provide an oxygen-free environment within the furnace
so that the process of creating the desired metals is not
reversed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The present invention may generally be characterized as a
process or system for producing quantities of noble metals. The
process basically begins with obtaining a feed material containing
small amounts of noble metals, mixing the feed material (preferably
in a ground or particulate form) with a base metal such as copper
and with activated carbon such as charcoal briquettes, and exposing
the mixture to a reaction environment that results in the
production of significantly greater quantities of noble metals, or
other types of valuable metals, than were originally present in the
feed.
[0009] The reaction environment includes a non-conducting container
placed within a combustion chamber and surrounded by a double-wire,
coiled transmission line. "Collision pairs," comprising pairs of
electrical pulses having equal amplitudes and opposing directions
(in other words, each pair comprises a positive pulse and a
negative pulse), are repeatedly applied to each end of the
transmission line so that the opposing pulses collide within the
transmission line and that the collision points travel in a
sweeping motion along the length of the transmission line.
[0010] Additional positive-negative pulse pairs, herein called
"frequency pairs," are sent in multi-chord pulse trains that form a
chord having multiple, specific frequencies ranging preferably
between 5000 to 7000 cycles per second. These multi-frequency pulse
trains are repeated over and over, thus sustaining a
multi-frequency chord that exposes the mixture within the container
to a multi-frequency magnetic field. The timing of the frequency
pairs is preferably controlled by digital signal processing filters
that are able to precisely maintain the individual frequencies of
the chord by using input from current and voltage sensors in the
transmission line.
[0011] The collision and frequency pulse pairs are repeatedly
applied to the transmission line until the desired amount of metal
is produced. In the preferred embodiments, heat is also applied to
the mixture in order to facilitate the production of metals.
[0012] Accordingly, it is an object of some embodiments of the
present invention to provide a commercially valuable process
whereby valuable metals are produced from low-grade ore
material.
[0013] It is another object of some embodiments of the present
invention to provide a process for producing noble metals wherein a
mixture of activated carbon, a base metal, and feed material
containing trace amounts of the desired noble metals are exposed to
electrodynamic fields created by a series of electrical pulses that
travel along conducting lines surrounding the mixture.
[0014] It is yet another object of some embodiments of the present
invention to provide a process for producing noble metals wherein a
mixture of low-grade ore, carbon, and copper are exposed to a
combination of gas heat and of electrodynamic fields that vary at
multiple, pre-determined frequencies.
[0015] Another object of some embodiments of the present invention
is to provide a non-conducting container surrounded by a
double-wire, coiled transmission line wherein the container is
designed to hold low-grade ore materials, and the transmission line
carries repeated electrical pulse collisions and multi-frequency
pulses that travel along the transmission line.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] The foregoing and other objects and features of the present
invention will become more fully apparent from the accompanying
drawings when considered in conjunction with the following
description and appended claims. Although the drawings depict only
typical embodiments of the invention and are thus not to be deemed
as limiting the scope of the invention, the accompanying drawings
help explain the invention in added detail.
[0017] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of an electrical
transmission line according to one embodiment of the present
invention.
[0018] FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram that represents the electrical
equivalent of the parallel conductors 12a and 12b shown in FIG.
1.
[0019] FIG. 3 schematically shows a transmission line coiled around
a container in accordance with one embodiment of the present
invention.
[0020] FIG. 4 shows an isolated view of a container, according to
one embodiment of the present invention, filled with a mixture of
feed material, base metal, and carbon.
[0021] FIG. 5 shows an assembly, in accordance with some
embodiments of the present invention, of the structures depicted in
FIGS. 3 and 4 such that the latter structures are mounted in a
combustion chamber.
[0022] FIG. 6 shows a circuit diagram that illustrates how the
pulses are generated in the preferred embodiments of the present
invention.
[0023] FIG. 7 shows a table that shows what switches in FIG. 5 are
closed in order to generate the pulse collision pairs and frequency
pairs in the preferred embodiments of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS
[0024] The following detailed description, in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings (hereby expressly incorporated as part of
this detailed description), sets forth specific numbers, materials,
and configurations in order to provide a thorough understanding of
the present invention. The following detailed description, in
conjunction with the drawings, will enable one skilled in the
relevant art to make and use the present invention.
[0025] The purpose of this detailed description being to describe
the invention so as to enable one skilled in the art to make and
use the present invention, the following description sets forth
various specific examples, also referred to as "embodiments," of
the present invention. While the invention is described in
conjunction with specific embodiments, it will be understood,
because the embodiments are set forth for explanatory purposes
only, that this description is not intended to limit the invention
to these particular embodiments. Indeed, it is emphasized that the
present invention can be embodied or performed in a variety of
ways. The drawings and detailed description are merely
representative of particular embodiments of the present
invention.
[0026] Reference will now be made in detail to several embodiments
of the invention. The various embodiments will be described in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like elements
are designated by like alphanumeric characters throughout.
[0027] The present invention basically begins with obtaining a feed
material containing small or trace amounts of noble metals (or
other valuable metals desired to be produced from operation of this
invention), mixing the feed material (preferably in a ground or
particulate form) with a base metal and with activated carbon such
as charcoal briquettes, and exposing the resulting mixture to a
reaction environment that results in the production of
significantly greater quantities of noble metals, or other valuable
metals, than were originally present in the feed. Noble metals
include the metals such as gold, platinum, palladium, and rhodium
(note that the latter is also considered a type of platinum). It
should also be noted that this Detailed Description focuses on the
production of noble metals because such metals are valuable enough
to justify the costs of operating the present invention. However,
the present invention may be used to create any metals valuable
enough to the producer.
[0028] The feed material can be any material in which one or more
of the desired noble metals is present in at least a trace amount
that will promote the replication of the noble metals using the
methods and processes (as further described below) of the present
invention. Examples of feed material include low-grade ore
materials such as those found in natural deposit, those found in
tailing piles left after the concentration step in mining
processes, and those found in the slag that results from smelting.
Any or all of the public domain art that is available to those
skilled in the mining and recovery of metals could be used to
provide the feed materials in the present invention.
[0029] The base metal is added to the feed material to provide
blocks of atomic mass in amounts that, when added to the mass of
lighter elements contained in the feed materials (for example, the
elements shown in columns 2 through 5 in the table below),
substantially sums up to quantities of the atomic mass of the
desired noble metal or metals. The masses must sum up in this
manner because it is contemplated that the present invention
promotes quantum tunneling between nuclei to create new atoms
(comprising one or more noble metal) not present in the original
mixture. The following table describes some possible mass building
blocks, their resulting sum being equivalent to a noble metal, that
could be part of the mixtures used in the present invention.
1 1 2 3 4 5 Mass Sum Target Sum Element 1Cu.sup.63 1Li.sup.6
1S.sup.34 Mass Unit 62.930 6.013 33.968 102.911 Rh.sup.103 =
102.905 Element 1Cu.sup.63 Mg.sup.24 1O.sup.16 Mass Unit 62.930
23.985 15.995 102.91 102.905 Element 1Cu.sup.63 B.sup.11 1Si.sup.29
Mass Unit 62.930 11.009 28.975 102.914 102.905 Element 1Cu.sup.65
1Li.sup.7 1Cl.sup.35 Mass Unit 64.928 7.016 34.969 106.91
Ag.sup.107 = 106.9051 Element 1Cu.sup.65 1Si.sup.28 1N.sup.14 Mass
Unit 64.928 27.997 14.004 106.929 106.905 Element 1Cu.sup.65
1Mg.sup.26 1O.sup.16 Mass Unit 64.928 25.983 15.995 106.906 106.905
Element 1Cu.sup.65 1Al.sup.27 1C.sup.12 Mass Unit 64.928 29.981
12.011 106.920 106.905 Element 1Cu.sup.63 1Cl.sup.35 1Be.sup.9 Mass
Unit 62.930 34.969 9.01 106.909 106.905 Element 1Cu.sup.65
1Si.sup.30 1N.sup.14 Mass Unit 64.928 29.974 14.004 108.920
Ag.sup.109 = 108.905 Element 1Cu.sup.65 1Mg.sup.24 1Ne.sup.20 Mass
Unit 64.928 23.985 19.992 108.905 108.905 Element 1Cu.sup.65
1S.sup.34 1Be.sup.9 Mass Unit 64.928 33.968 9.01 107.906 Pd.sup.108
= 107.904 Element 1Cu.sup.65 1Si.sup.29 1N.sup.14 Mass Unit 64.928
28.975 14.004 107.907 107.904 Element 1Cu.sup.65 1Si.sup.28
1N.sup.15 Mass Unit 64.928 27.977 15.000 107.905 107.904 Element
1Cu.sup.63 1Si.sup.30 1N.sup.15 Mass Unit 62.930 29.974 15.000
107.904 107.904 Element 2Cu.sup.ave 1Mn.sup.ave 1C.sup.13 Mass Unit
127.092 54.398 13.020 195.050 Pt.sup.ave = 195.090 Element
2Cu.sup.ave 1B.sup.ave 1Be.sup.9 4C.sup.12 Mass Unit 127.092 10.810
9.012 48.044 194.953 Pt.sup.194 = 194.965 Element 2Cu.sup.ave
1Fe.sup.ave 1C.sup.14 Mass Unit 127.092 55.847 14.028 196.967
Au.sup.ave = 196.967 Element 2Cu.sup.ave 1Be.sup.9 1B 2C.sup.12
2C.sup.13 Mass Unit 127.092 9.012 10.810 24.022 26.039 196.975
196.967 *Note: "Cu" =copper, "Li" = lithium, "S" = Sulfur, "Mg" =
magnesium, "O" = oxygen, "Si" = silicon, "Cl" = chlorine, "N" =
nitrogen, "Al" = aluminum, "C" = carbon, "Be" = beryllium, "Ne" =
neon, "Mn" = manganese, "Fe" = iron, "B" = boron, "Rh" = rhodium,
"Ag" =silver, # "Pd" = palladium, "Pt" = platinum, and "Au" =
gold.
[0030] It can be seen that this table is by no means comprehensive
and it is shown only to establish a few possibilities. It also can
be seen from this table that copper is a good candidate for a base
metal. In addition, it can be seen from the table that feed
material containing borax (an ore of boron) would work well for
purposes of the present invention. Since borax is commonly used as
a flux in smelting operations, and since typical induction furnaces
used in smelting processes could be easily adapted to create the
reaction environment (to be described below) of the present
invention, it may be convenient to use the present invention to
also produce noble metals during the smelting stage of metals
processing.
[0031] FIGS. 1 through 5 help illustrate the reaction environment
according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows
a schematic diagram of an electrical transmission line 10
comprising two circular conductors 12a and 12b in a parallel
relationship. Each conductor has an inherent inductance associated
with it that is distributed along the length of the conductor. Each
conductor also has an inherent capacitance distributed between it
and the parallel conductor beside it.
[0032] FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram that represents the electrical
equivalent of the configuration of the parallel conductors 12a and
12b. The circuit diagram shows a series of distributed inductors 14
that represent the inductance of either of the parallel conductors
12a and 12b. The diagram also shows several capacitors 16 that
represent the capacitance existing between the conductors 12a and
12b. Hence, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the
transmission line 10 comprising conductors 12a and 12b acts as a
ladder transmission line that will transport alternating current or
pulses along the line 10 from end to end.
[0033] FIG. 3 schematically shows one preferred embodiment of the
transmission line 10 that comprises the parallel conductors 12a and
12b shown in FIG. 1. In the preferred embodiments of the present
invention, the transmission line 10 is coiled around a
non-conducting, heat-resistant container 18 made of material such
as alumina or zirconia. The transmission line 10, in this coiled
formation, may sometimes be referred to as a "resonant structure"
or "tank circuit."
[0034] FIG. 4 shows an isolated view of the container 18 filled
with an appropriate mixture 20 of feed material, base metal, and
carbon. The feed material--which contains amounts of noble metals
as well as amounts of lighter elements--and the base metal are
preferably in particulate or ground form and are embedded in a bed
of activated carbon, or other suitable supportive material, in such
a way that the particles of the base metal and the feed material
are held in contact with each other as well as with the carbon when
the mixture is exposed to heat.
[0035] FIG. 5 shows an assembly, in accordance with some
embodiments of the present invention, of the structures depicted in
FIGS. 3 and 4 mounted in an insulated combustion chamber 22. In the
preferred embodiments of the present invention, the container 18,
as well as its contents, are heated by a natural gas flame that
enters the chamber 22 at a fire port 24. The heating of the
container 18 and its contents can be accomplished by any of the
heating methods known to practitioners of the minerals recovery
art. Preferably, the top of the chamber 22 is open to the
atmosphere in order to allow the atmospheric gases to enter the
reaction processes ongoing within the chamber 22. Also, the
combustion products from the heating flame are preferably vented
away from the reaction chamber 22 through vents 26.
[0036] In operation, the present invention basically comprises
placing the measured mixture 20 of feed materials, base metal, and
carbon in the container 18 that is surrounded by the coiled
transmission line 10. The container 18, and thus also the mixture
20 therein, is subjected to an amount of heat that increases the
Brownian motion and momentum of the constituents of the mixture 20
as well as elevates the energy states of the captive electrons
present in the atoms of the mixture 20. Simultaneous with the
subjection of heat, pairs of electrical pulses with equal amplitude
but opposing polarity (in other words, each pulse pair comprises a
negative pulse and a positive pulse) are repeatedly sent through
the transmission line 10. In the preferred embodiments, these pulse
pairs include two types of pulse pairs, "collision pairs," and
"frequency pairs."
[0037] With respect to the collision pairs, a positive pulse is
applied to one end of the transmission line 10, and a negative
pulse is applied to the other end of the transmission line 10 so
that the pair of pulses travel towards each other and collide.
Moreover, the timing of the collision pair send-offs is carefully
staged so that the points of collision travel successively down one
end of the transmission line 10 and back. This traveling motion of
the collision points will sometimes herein be referred to as a
"sweeping" motion. In addition, in the preferred embodiments, the
collision pairs are interspersed between the frequency pairs, as
will be explained further herein.
[0038] More particularly, in the preferred embodiments of the
present invention, the pairs of electrical pulses are fed to each
end of the transmission line 10 (that is, a negative pulse is
applied to both of the parallel conductors 12a and 12b at one end
of the transmission line 10, and a positive pulse is applied to
both of the parallel conductors 12a and 12b at the other end of the
transmission line 10) with enough energy that the pulses collide at
some point along the transmission line 10. As will be explained
further herein, it is believed that this collision creates a
special electrodynamic field that extends around the collision
point and into the container 18. In particular, it is believed
that, based on James Clerk Maxwell's quaternion mathematics, the
collision of the two pulses result in a localized, vectorless,
electrodynamic field having an energy potential of twice the value
of the magnitude accompanying each of the two colliding pulses,
thereby resulting in a localized space-time curvature, and thereby
greatly increasing the probabilities for nuclear tunneling between
the atoms in the mixture 20 that are exposed to this space-time
curvature.
[0039] With respect to the frequency pairs, positive and negative
pulses are sent through the transmission line 10 at multiple,
distinct frequencies--for example, at a frequency f.sub.1, a
frequency f.sub.2, and a frequency f.sub.3. The multiple
frequencies comprise a multi-frequency chord or pulse train. For
example, if the chord has three frequencies, it would be a triple
chord; if it has four frequencies, it would be a quadruple chord.
The multi-frequency pulse train is repeated over and over in order
to sustain the multi-frequency chord, thereby exposing the mixture
within the container to a multi-frequency magnetic field. Digital
filters running in a digital signal processor (DSP) read the
voltage levels within the transmission line 10. The digital filters
will read one sine wave for each of the pulse pair frequencies, the
sine waves running simultaneously with each other.
[0040] The distinct frequencies in the multi-frequency pulse train
are preferably chosen to correspond to the particular noble metals
desired to be obtained from the operation of the present invention.
For example, if one desires to create gold, silver, and platinum
from a particular mixture 20, an f.sub.1, an f.sub.2, and an
f.sub.3 would be chosen to correspond to each of the three metals.
If one desires to create gold, silver, platinum, and palladium from
a particular mixture 20, an f.sub.1, an f.sub.2, an f.sub.3, and an
f.sub.4 would be chosen to correspond to each of those four metals
(note that the four frequencies would make the pulse train a
quadruple chord). Hence, the pulse train of the present invention
may be a triple chord, a quadruple chord, or another multiple
chord, depending on the number of noble metals that one desires to
obtain.
[0041] Additionally, each frequency, f.sub.1, f.sub.2, f.sub.3,
etc., of the pulse train is preferably chosen so that the effects
of the resonant structure (that is, the coiled transmission line 10
through which the pulses travel) on the atoms in the mixture 20 are
such that the atoms resonate according to multiple different
frequencies corresponding to the natural resonant frequencies
("resonant" in the quantum sense, as will be explained further
herein) of the desired noble metals. In other words, f.sub.1 would
be chosen so that the fields in the mixture 20 would resonate atoms
at the resonant frequency of the first desired noble metal; f.sub.2
would be chosen so that the fields in the mixture 20 would resonate
atoms at the resonant frequency of the second desired noble metal;
f.sub.3 would be chosen so that the fields would resonate atoms in
the mixture 20 at the resonant frequency of the third desired noble
metal; and so forth. The presently preferred frequencies are those
ranging from 5000 cycles per second to 7000 cycles per second.
[0042] In order to maintain the chord of frequencies, the currents
and voltages in the resonant structure are monitored, and digital
signal processing (DSP) filters are applied to these currents and
voltages, thereby obtaining individual wave forms for each of the
specific chord frequencies. These wave forms are then used to
fine-tune the power and timing of the pulse pairs such that the
chord of frequencies may be indefinitely maintained within the
resonant structure, as explained previously. Preferably, the
structure is tuned to an intermediate frequency centered within the
chord, and the structure is designed with a low enough Q such that
it will support all of the frequencies of the chord. In addition,
it is preferable that the amount of carbon present in the mixture
20 is enough to spoil the Q of the resonant structure such that the
structure can electrically maintain the specific frequencies. It
will be noted that the power supply required to generate the pulse
pairs is similar to the power supply used for a typical induction
furnace, except that the control system of the present invention is
much more sophisticated.
[0043] A preferred embodiment of the present invention is
illustrated by FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. 6 shows a circuit diagram that
helps explain how the pulses are generated in the preferred
embodiments of the present invention. Shown are switches 31, 32,
33, 34, and 35. Also shown are resonance capacitors 36 that are
coupled to the conductors 12a and 12b of the transmission line 10,
the coupling of the capacitors 36 thus providing an electrodynamic
environment suitable for the operation of the preferred embodiments
of the present invention.
[0044] The table shown in FIG. 7 shows which switches 31-35 in FIG.
6 are closed in order to generate the pulse collision pairs and
frequency pairs in the preferred embodiments. The left column in
the table indicates a sequence of twelve events. Rows 1, 4, 7, and
10 represent events that comprise collision pulses. It can be seen
that in each of those rows, switches 35 are open, and switches
31,32,33, and 34 are closed. Switches 31 and 32 are closed to
create a collision pulse moving in one direction, and switches 33
and 34 are closed to create a collision pulse moving in the other
direction. The closure of switches 33 and 34 is not necessarily
timed to occur simultaneously with the closure of switches 31 and
32, as will be explained further below.
[0045] The remaining rows in the table indicate the closures of the
switches 31-35 that generate the frequency pulse pairs in the
preferred embodiments of the present invention. Rows 2 and 3
together represent the generation of a frequency 1 pair, rows 5 and
6 represent the generation of a frequency 2 pair, rows 8 and 9
represent the generation of a frequency 3 pair, and rows 11 and 12
represent the generation of a frequency 4 pair. Note that each of
the latter rows represent an individual frequency pulse, and that,
for each of the pairs, there is one positive pulse and one negative
pulse.
[0046] In the preferred embodiments, the events occur in the order
designated by the row numbers in the table. This sequence of events
is repeated over and over again, resulting in the maintenance of a
multi-frequency chord interspersed with momentary pulse collisions.
The generating of pulses as well as the heating of the mixture 20
continues until the desired amount of noble metals are produced.
The degree of the heat depends on the length of time that the heat
is applied to the mixture 20. In some embodiments of the present
invention, the degree of heat ranges from 1200 degrees F. to 3600
degrees F. However, of course, the degree of heat can be any degree
that can achieve the desired results of the present invention.
[0047] As was mentioned earlier, the pulse collisions are timed so
that the collisions sweep along the length of the transmission line
10. In the preferred embodiments, this sweeping motion is
accomplished by delaying the closure of switches 33 and 34 from the
closure of switches 31 and 32 in successively varying increments of
time. In one embodiment, the variable delay of switches 33 and 34
is followed by the variable delay of switches 31 and 32.
Specifically, the variable delay of the closure of switches 33 and
34 causes the pulse collisions to move from the center of the
transmission line 10 out to one end and back to the center.
[0048] By so delaying the closure of switches 33 and 34, it can be
seen that collisions can be made to occur over only half of the
line because, when the opposing pulses are transmitted
simultaneously, the pulses collide in the center of the
transmission line 10. Therefore, in this embodiment, after the
collisions have returned to the center of the transmission line 10,
the order of pulse generation is switched so that the closure of
switches 33 and 34 are then followed by variably delaying the
closure of switches 31 and 32. This results in the collisions
traveling down the opposite end of the transmission line 10 and
back again to the center. The order of pulse generation continues
to switch back and forth as pulse pairs are repeatedly generated.
It should be noted that the delay between each pulse within a
collision pulse pair may be referred to as a "variable delay." It
is this variable delay that causes the before-mentioned sweeping
motion of the collision points, which sweeping motion apparently
causes multiple areas of the mixture 20 to be exposed to the
localized space-time curvature that accompanies each pulse
collision.
[0049] The frequency pairs are timed to begin at increasing voltage
points on the sine wave function that define each frequency of the
chord as the wave functions are filtered by digital filters running
in the Digital Signal Processor (DSP). The trigger point of the
pulses determine how much power is fed to the resonant structure
supporting each of the frequencies. For example, if each of the
pulses in a pair are short in duration, then very little power is
fed to the structure; if the pulses are long, then maximum power is
fed to the resonant structure. The time between the pulse pairs and
the resonance of the tank circuit formed by conductors 12a and 12b
and capacitors 36 determines the frequencies that will be generated
and thereby the magnetic fields that influence the wave functions
and nuclear resonances of the participating materials in the
mixture 20.
[0050] A description of the generation and maintenance of an
exemplary triple-chord pulse train, described with reference to
FIGS. 6 and 7, follows:
[0051] 1) After the collision pair collides as a result of the
event represented by row 1 in the table of FIG. 6, switches 35 are
closed, and at the point when the voltage wave form of f.sub.1
crosses the voltage zero point in the positive direction, as
determined by the filter for f.sub.1 running in the DSP, on and off
trigger points for switches 32 and 34 are selected (row 2 in the
table), depending on the amount of power desired to be applied to
the resonant structure for f.sub.1. The pulse generated by switches
32 and 34 is then followed by a pulse generated by switches 31 and
33 (row 3 in the table), the latter pulse being timed to turn on
and off during the negative half of the voltage wave form of
f.sub.1, the length and trigger points again being dependent on the
amount of power desired to be applied to the resonant structure for
f.sub.1. The delay between the send-offs of the pulse created by
closing switches 32 and 34 and the pulse created by closing
switches 31 and 33 is set to keep the period of f.sub.1 constant at
the desired frequency f.sub.1.
[0052] 2) After a time period of 1/f.sub.1 passes, and at the time
that the averaged voltages of all three frequency wave forms is at
a minimum (that is, the voltage wave forms of all three frequencies
are approaching or have just left zero), all switches 35 are
opened, and the next collision pulse (row 4 in the table) is
applied to the ends of the transmission line 10 formed by
conductors 12a and 12b. This time period is very short compared to
the periods of f.sub.1, f.sub.2, and f.sub.3.
[0053] 3) Switches 35 are closed again, and at the point when the
voltage wave form of f.sub.2 crosses the voltage zero point in the
positive direction, as determined by the filter for f.sub.2 running
in the DSP, on and off trigger points for switches 32 and 34 are
selected (row 5 in the table), depending on the amount of power
desired to be applied to the resonant structure for f.sub.2. The
pulse generated by switches 32 and 34 is then followed by a pulse
generated by switches 31 and 33 (row 6 in the table), the latter
pulse being timed to turn on and off during the negative half of
the voltage wave form of f.sub.2, the length and trigger points
again being dependent on the amount of power desired to be applied
to the resonant structure for f.sub.2. The delay between the
send-offs of the pulse created by closing switches 32 and 34 and
the pulse created by closing switches 31 and 33 is set to keep the
period of f.sub.2 constant at the desired frequency f.sub.2.
[0054] 4) After a time period of 1 /f.sub.2 passes, and at the time
that the averaged voltages of all three frequency wave forms is at
a minimum, all switches 35 are opened, and the next collision pulse
(row 7 in the table) is applied to the ends of the transmission
line 10 formed by conductors 12a and 12b.
[0055] 5) Switches 35 are again closed, and at the time when the
voltage wave form of f.sub.3 crosses the voltage zero point in the
positive direction, as determined by the filter for f.sub.3 running
in the DSP, on and off trigger points for switches 32 and 34 are
selected (row 8 in the table), depending on the amount of power
desired to be applied to the resonant structure for f.sub.3. The
pulse generated by switches 32 and 34 is then followed by a pulse
generated by switches 31 and 33 (row 9 in the table) which is timed
to turn on and off during the negative half of the voltage wave
form of f.sub.3, the length and trigger points again being
dependent on the amount of power desired to be applied to the
resonant structure for f.sub.3. The delay between the send-offs of
the pulse created by closing switches 32 and 34 and the pulse
created by closing switches 31 and 33 is set to keep the period of
f.sub.3 constant at the desired frequency f.sub.3.
[0056] 6) After a time period of 1/f.sub.3 passes, and at the time
that the averaged voltages of all three frequency wave forms is at
a minimum, all switches 35 are opened, and the next collision pulse
is applied to the ends of the transmission line 10, and the
sequence described in (1) through (6) is repeated over and over,
thus maintaining the pulse collisions and the chord of frequencies
indefinitely.
[0057] Non-relativistic quantum mechanics may help explain why the
present invention produces a significantly greater quantity of
noble metals than present in the original mixture 20 of feed
materials, carbon, and base metal. (Relativistic mechanics is not
necessary here because the processes involved in the present
invention do not involve velocities anywhere near the speed of
light--and hence, only insignificant amounts of mass are converted
into energy, and vice versa.) According to quantum mechanics, even
though a given nucleus may not have enough energy to overcome the
potential energy barrier created by coulomb forces, there is still
some possibility that the nucleus will nevertheless "tunnel"
through the barrier to be able to merge with another nucleus. This
probability of tunneling can be increased in several ways. One way
is by increasing the energy or momentum of the nuclei. Another way
is by placing the nuclei to be merged in such a state that both of
their wave functions (quantum mechanics describes matter in terms
of wave functions having discrete energy quanta, positional
location quanta, and momentum quanta probabilities) are in
resonance.
[0058] The present invention endeavors to appropriate both of the
above-mentioned means to greatly increase the probability of
nuclear tunneling. In particular, the present invention seeks to
raise the momentum and energy states of nuclei by a combination of
applying heat to the mixture 20 and by applying, via the sweeping
pulse collisions, a series of localized space-time curvatures to
the mixture 20. The present invention also seeks to place nuclei in
a state of wave function resonance by providing pulses at specific
frequencies so that the mixture 20 is exposed to varying
electromagnetic fields that couple energy into the nuclei to cause
the nuclei to resonate at the natural resonant frequencies of the
desired noble metals.
[0059] To elaborate on the physics of the space-time curvatures, it
should be explained that a localized point of space-time curvature
theoretically causes nuclei at that point to experience
significantly increased energy levels and significantly decreased
potential barriers. According to James Clerk Maxwell's quaternion
field mathematics, the result of combining two electromagnetic
fields that have equal amplitudes but opposite directions and
phases is a scalar quantity of twice the value of the opposing
amplitudes. Although this scalar quantity has an amplitude of twice
the amplitude of the directional quantities, this quantity
nevertheless has no direction associated with it (in other words,
it is vectorless), and thus might be considered a doubled potential
in terms of quantum mechanics. This quantity might alternatively be
deemed a curvature in local space-time. If time is not a linear
function at a particular localized point, then the wave equations
for that point become four-dimensional and the probabilities
computed for tunneling are vastly changed from those appropriate
for a three-dimensional situation. In applying quaternion math to
the present invention, it would appear that the colliding of
electric pulses of equal amplitude but opposite directions and
phases creates localized space-time curvatures, or, in other words,
changes the localized nuclei energies and potential barriers so as
to significantly promote nuclear tunneling.
[0060] It is underscored that the present invention may be embodied
in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or
essential characteristics. The described embodiments herein should
be deemed only as illustrative. Indeed, the appended claims
indicate the scope of the invention; the description, being used
for illustrative purposes, does not limit the scope of the
invention. All variations that come within the meaning and range of
equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their
scope.
* * * * *